Technology
The Nth Room case and modern slavery in the digital space
“He already had my face, my voice, my personal information. I was afraid that he would threaten me with that information if I said I would quit.”
Even as Covid-19 dominates the…
What price privacy? Contact tracing apps to combat Covid
Few in the West would have imagined two months ago that their government would consider tracking their personal mobile phones. But as Covid-19 rapidly sweeps through cities and…
The danger meme: Countering visual disinformation in Asia’s politics
As some Asian countries gear up for elections in the later part of 2020, tackling the spread of malicious disinformation is a priority. Even as South Korea battles to control the…
Doom surfing and fact checkers prosper in Covid-19 infodemic
Several terms have taken on newfound meaning in the grip of coronavirus. “Doom surfing” is one, to describe those who seem unable to remove themselves from…
Disinformation and coronavirus
The best way to prevent the novel coronavirus? Eating garlic. Or actually, try traditional Chinese medicine. In case you hadn’t heard, a vaccine already exists but the United…
The uncertain fate of .org
If you’ve used the internet, you’ve accessed a .org site. The domain is associated with civil society groups and non-government organisations ranging from the United Nations to…
Is media literacy the magic bullet for fake news?
As online news and social media have proliferated over the last decade, a whole new category of information has entered the popular lexicon: fake news. Online disinformation has…
“Coordinated inauthentic behaviour”: Facebook haunts US democracy
The recent descriptions of Russian interference in American politics, in both the Democratic primaries and the presidential campaign, are a stark reminder of the…
The Australian lag in tech policy
Last month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a much-awaited reform package to regulate the tech giants and their immense market power. Australia was to be “the model…
Australia’s new strategic geography
Australia’s strategic geography is not what it used to be. Technology has made the “sea-air gap”, an artefact treasured since the 1980s by a generation of Australian strategic…